Film-feeding mechanism for kinetoscopes.



FILM FEEDING MECHANISM FOR KINETOSGOPES.-

APPLICATION TILED JUNE 23, 1910.

Patented Mar. 21,

//v1 /v70/75. W. J, 8 YM 0 N62 R J BOXL, 5.

IMF/V5555 $1M W. A. BLAIND.

4 ram nmwbul a laq- WALTER J. SYMON S, ROBERT J OHN BOYLE,

A CE.

AND WILLIAM A. BLAIND, or BELLEVILLE,

ONTARIO, CANADA, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-FOURTH '10 HARRY OGILVIE STEWART, OF

BELLEVILLE, CANADA.

FILM-FEEDING MECHANISM FOR- KINETOSCOPES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 21, 19 11.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WALTER JAMES SYMoNs', Bonner J OHN BOYLE, andWILLIAM ALFRED BLAIND, all of the city of Belleville, in the county ofHastings, in the Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Film-Feeding Mechanism for Kinetoscopes, ofwhich the following is the specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in film feeding mechanism forkinetoscopes and the object of the invention is to devise a feedingmechanism which will entirely dispense with rewinding the film on thereel and thus do away with the rewinder now commonly in use in thisclass of machines and thereby effectan economy in time and labor.

A. further object is so to construct the mechanism as not todeleteriously affect the film as is the case where the film has to bepulled off the reel or rewound.

A further object is. to obviate the tremor in the picture presentedcaused by the unevenness or vibration of feed in the mechanism as nowconstructed.

The invention consists essentially in the construction and thearrangements of parts as described in the following specification.

Figure 1, is a" general perspective view of a portion of a kinetoscopeshowing our device connected thereto. Fig. 2 is a cross sectional viewthrough the film feeding mechanism located at the top of thekinetoscope. Fig. 3, is an enlarged sectional view through the clutchconnecting. the driving wheel of the feed pan to the feed screw.

In the drawings like letters of reference indicate corresponding partsin each figure.

A is the main cas ing of the kinetoscope provided with the usual lens Aand driving gears A and operating crank A A is the film receiving reelon to which the film 2 is wound from the center 0utwardly. The receivingreel is supported on asuitable casing A and is suitably driven by meansnot illustrated so as to wind the film thereon.

A is a supplemental shaft of the ordinary feeding mechanism (not shown)designed to feed the films past lens A.

shaft A".

B is a stud shaft journaled in a suitable portion of the main casting Aof the kinetoscope.

B is a sprocket wheel mounted on the stud shaft and B3 is a sprocketchain connecting the gears B and B together. G is a gear pinion alsomounted on the stud shaft B.

bracket C and at the opposite end in the central bearing D The shaft Cis squared between the bearings L and D C is a gear pinion mounted onone end of the stud shaft C and meshing with the gear pinion C. C is agear pinion also mounted on the stud shaft C D is a circular tablehaving a central orifice D and a vertical bearing D supported beneaththe table centrally of the orifice D. The table D is provided with aradial slot D for a purpose which will hereinafter be explained.

E is a feed screw journaled at each end in bearing lugs D and D.

E is a gear wheel mounted on the outer end of the feed screw E andconnected to the gear pinion C by the intermediate gears C and G F is acircular feed pan in which is horizontally located the film coil 3.

G is a central post which passes loosely through the feed pan F inproximity to the bottom thereof. The post G projects through the bottomfeed pan and is provided with a hemispherical end designed to fit intothe bearing cup D formed in the bearing D to the table and .an annularflange and on which the feedpan is designed to rest.

F is. a standard extending upwardly from and forming part of the tableD.

of its length through the post G in which it I is suitably secured. Atone end of the cross rod H is provided a depending end H the B is asprocket wheel mounted 011 the C is a shaft journaled atone end in the Has a cross rod extending intermediately lower extremity of which ishinged to the lug D forming part of the table D. The opposite end of thecross rod H rests in the bearing standard F being held therein by asuitable hinged cap F It will be seen that by this construction when anew film is being placed in the feed pan the cross rod H may be releasedfrom the standard F and thrown upwardly on its hinged end D" out of theway of the feed pan, said cross rod of course carrying the post G withit.

I is a bracket extending upwardly from the pos-t;G. The bracket I isprovided with an arm I extending across over the center of the post atan angle to the cross rod H.

' The arm I is providedwith a suitable bearing roller I J is a standardextending upwardly .from

the main casting A. The standard J is prov vided with a forked upper endJ between the members of which are journaled the rollers J" and J J is ahorizontal arm extending rearwardly from the upper portion of table D ofthe main castin A.

J is a slot formed in the frame J.

J and J are rollers journaled in the slot J 1 K is the ordinary feedroll of the kinet'oscope which is driven in the usual manner and isprovided with the usual teeth K located at each end of the roller anddesigned to mesh with the slotted perforations formed at each edge ofthe kinetoscope strip 2 forming the coil 3. p

It will be noticed on reference to the drawings that the strip 2 isunwound from the coil 3 from the center outwardly and as it is unwoundit passes upwardly over the roller I and between the rollers J 2 and Jand downwardly between the rollers J 4 and J past the feed roller K andfrom thence downwardly to the rewinding wheel A on which it is woundfrom the center outwardly.

L-is a driving wheel secured to the sleeve L slidably held upon thesquared portion of the shaft C L is an arm provided with a forked end Lwhich extends around the sleeve L to each side of the wheel L. Theperiphery of the drive roller L extends through the radial slot D formedin the table D into contact with the bottom of the feed pan F.

L is an orifice formed in the arm L through which the feed screw Epasses. The center portion of the interior of the arm L is chamberedout.

L and L are pivoted clutch arms provided with internally threadedportions L engaging with the feed screw E. The opposite ends of the armsL and L are formed Wedge shape and fit into a. correspondingly inclinedrecess M formed at the inner enlarged end of the spring plunger feedscrew E.

to project past the'end of the arm and forma spring pressure buttonwhereby the spring plunger may be manually forced inwardly so as tospread the threaded clutch ends of the arms L and L and free them fromthe N is a central bore formed in the bearings D and in which isslidably held the pin N.

N is an orifice extending through the bearing D into the bore N.

' ,N is a lever pivotally supported by a pin N on the lug N The innerend of the lever N extends through-the opening N and beneath the pin ifor a purpose which will hereinafter be explained.

Having described the principal parts involved in our invention We willbriefly describe theoperat-ion of the same.

It will. of course be understood that to operate the machine the crankhandle A is turned so as to feed the film strip 2 downwardly past thelens A. In our construction by the same operation the shaft C is alsorotated through the sprocket chain 13 and intermediate gears C C and Cthereby rotating the drive wheel L held in frictional contact with thebottom of the feed pan F thereby rotating thesame in the direction ofarrow so as to allow of the film strip 2 feeding freely from the centerof the coil 3 over the roller I and between the rollers J and J and therollers J and J past the lens A to the rewindin'g reel A on which it iswound from the center outwardly. It will be understood that by windingthe film in this way it. will be so arranged on the winding roller as tobe ready for use when wound into a coil thereon. The feed screw E isdriven from the gear C so that the strip 2 is fed from the coil 3 at auniform rate of speed. This it will be readily seen is attained by themeans of the feed screw E carrying the arm L' longitudinally along theshaft C thereby also moving the drive roller L in the same direction sothat the feed pan is rotated at. all times at the speed required to feedthe strip 2 from the coil 3, uniformly as has been before stated. Whenthe film strip has been fed in this manner on to the rewinding reel Athe coil so formed is ready for use. The reel is a separable reel ofordinary construction, as is commonly used in connection withkinetoscopes, and the outer flange of the reel is removable from the hubso as to allow of the coil being removed therefrom. When removed fromthe reel it is then placed in the feed pan F and passed t-hrou h themachine in the same manner as the coil When the whole coil 2-; of thefilm strip 2 has been fed from the feed pan F the threaded portion ofthe arm L passes off the thread of the screw. WVhen the new coil hasbeen placed in the feed pan it is necessary to pass the arm L over thefeed screw free of the thread thereof to the initial point of operation.This is accomplishedby pressing the spring plunger M inwardly therebyforcing the wedge shape ends of the pivoted jaws together, spreadingapartthe opposite ends of the jaws, and freeing them from the feedscrew. The arm may then be moved over the feed as above described. It isalso necessary during this operation to raise the feed pan free of thedriving wheel L. This is accomplished by first releasing the hinged capF so as to free the cross rod H. The outer end of the lever N is thendepressed so as to force the pin N vertically upwardly and the post (Jrcarrying with the feed pan F.

From this description it will be seen that we have devised a very simpledevice whereby the rewinding of the film strip is dispensed with and bywhich the film strip will not be deleteriously affected by being pulledoff the reel either primarily or in rewinding and also by. which thefilm is firmly held when'passing to the feed roller so as to obviate anytremor in the picture presented caused by unevenness of vibration of thefeed.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. In a deviceof the class described, a supporting table provided with aradial slot,

a feed pan supported centrally on the tableand designed to contain thefilm coil, a driving shaft journaled beneath the radial slot,

a driving roller supported upon the shaft and engaging with the bottomof the feed pan, and means for moving the driving roller longitudinallyalong the driving shaft in unison with the winding of the film coil asand for the purpose specified.

2. In a device of the class described, a supporting table provided witharadial slot, a feed pan rotatably supported upon the table, a drivingshaft journaled beneath the radial slot, a feed screw also journaled oneach end beneath the table, a driving wheel rotatably connected to driveshaft arid capable of longitudinal movement thereon and held infrictional engagement with the bottom of the feed pan and means operatedby the feed screw for moving the drive wheel longitudinally in unisonwith the unwinding of the film from the coil as and for the purposespecified.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a maincasting provided w1th a supporting table having a radial slot and astationary center post extending upwardly, a feed pan having a centerorifice through which the center post extends, a driving shaft journaledat each end beneath the radial slot and having a squared centralportion, the driving wheel mounted on such a portion so as tofrictionally engage the bottom of the feed pan, a feed screw alsojournaled beneath the table, an arm threaded thereon having a forked endextending to each side of the aforesaid drive Wheel, and means forthrowing the arm in and out of engagement with the feed screw as and forthe purpose specified.

4. In a device of the class described, the cmnhiuation with a feed panand a supporting tablehaving a radial slot and on which the feed pan isrotatably mounted, a square driving shaft journaled beneath the radialslot, a drive wheel mounted thereon, a feed screw also journaled beneaththe table, an arm having a forked end extending to each side of thedrive wheel and provided with internally threaded jaw memhers throughwhich the feed screw extends, and means for spreading the jaw membersapart to disengage the screw as and for the purpose specified.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination with a squareddriving shaft, a drive wheel mounted thereon, a feed screw havingpivoted internally threaded jaw spring plunger designed to engage withthe said jaw members to open them free of the feed screw as and for thepurpose specified.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination with a supportingtable having a central recess, a post extending upwardly from suchrecess, a feed pan to which the stationary post loosely extends, ahinged cross bar extending through the post, a supplemental standardforming part of the supporting table and means for releasably securingthe free end of the crossbar therein as and for the purpose specified.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination with a supportingtable having a radial slot and a center recess, a center post supportedwithin the recess and having an annular flange in proximity to thebottom thereof and a feed p'an having a central hole through which thecenter post extends, of a squared driving shaft, a driving wheel mountedthereon and engaging thebottom of the feed pan, a feed screw, an arm having an internally threaded portion through which the feed screw extendsand a jaw end extending to each side of the drive wheel, means forreleasing the arm out of engagement with the feed screw and means forraising the post and feed pan out of engagement with the driving wheelas and for the purpose specified.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination with a supportingtable having a central recess, of a center post having an annularenlargement in proximity to the bottom thereof and fitting the recess, afeed pan having a central orifice and resting upon the annularenlargement, a cross bar members engaging with the feed screw, it

extending through the postand hinged at upwardly against the entral postas and 10 one end to the table and at, the opposite end for the purposespecified.

with a releasable securi11 '111ea11s connecting 1 *1 it to the table. adriving shaftlocated be- Y J Q bYMONb' nv-nh th fwd nn '1 (lritin Wheelmounted LOBLRT JOHN BOYLE' L L WM. A. BLAIND.

upon the shaft and engaging the bottom of l the feed pan a verticallymovable pin held Witnesses:

in the table beneath the central orifice and a A. R. WALKER, levelextcnt'ling beneath the pin to force it CHAS. J. SYMONS.

